1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an electron-emitting device, a method of manufacturing an electron source structured by arranging the plurality of electron-emitting devices, and a method of manufacturing an image-forming apparatus, such as a display apparatus, which is structured by using the electron source.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, studies have been made on various electron sources each of which is structured by arranging a large number of electron-emitting devices in order to aim at application of an image-forming apparatus or the like. Among the electron sources, one is known in which a surface conduction electron-emitting device is used as an electron-emitting device. The structure, manufacturing method, and the like of the surface conduction electron-emitting device are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-321254.
The general structures of a surface conduction electron-emitting device and an electron source, which are disclosed in the above-mentioned publication or the like, are schematically shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B and FIGS. 13A and 13B. FIGS. 12A and 12B are respectively a plan view and a sectional view of the electron-emitting device disclosed in the above publication or the like. Further, FIG. 13A is a plan view showing an example of a structure of the electron source disclosed in the above publication or the like, and FIG. 13B is a sectional view taken along the line 13B—13B of FIG. 13A.
In FIGS. 12A and 12B, reference numeral 1 denotes a substrate; 2 and 3, a pair of electrodes facing each other; 400, a conductive film; 5, a second gap; 600, a film chiefly composed of carbon; and 7, a first gap.
FIGS. 13A and 13B schematically show an example of an electron source structured by arranging the plurality of electron-emitting devices shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B. In FIGS. 13A and 13B, electron-emitting devices of 3 rows×3 columns are arranged, and the electrodes 2 and the electrodes 3 of the respective devices are connected via wirings 8 and wirings 9, respectively, to thereby form a passive matrix structure. Note that an insulating layer 10 is provided at an intersection portion of the wirings.
A method of manufacturing the electron source shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B is described with reference to FIGS. 14A to 14F.
A plurality of pairs of the electrodes 2 and 3 are first formed on the substrate 1 (FIG. 14A).
Next, each of the wirings 8 is formed for a plurality of pairs of the electrodes 2 and 3 so as to connect with the electrodes 2 on one side (FIG. 14B).
The insulating layer 10 is formed at an intersection portion of each of the wirings 8 and each of the wirings 9 described later (FIG. 14C).
The wirings 9 that pass over the insulating layers 10 are formed (FIG. 14D).
Subsequently, the conductive film 400 for connecting between the electrodes 2 and 3 is formed (FIG. 14E).
Then, a current is made to flow between the electrodes 2 and 3 via the wirings 8 and 9, and the so-called “forming step” is performed for forming the second gap 5 in a part of the conductive film 400 (FIG. 14F).
Further, in a carbon compound atmosphere, a voltage is applied between the electrodes 2 and 3 via the wirings 8 and 9 to perform the so-called “activation step” by which the carbon film 600 is formed on a part of the substrate 1 within the second gap 5 and is also formed on a part of the conductive film 400 in the vicinity of the second gap 5, thus forming each device in FIG. 14F, which is the electron-emitting device shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B.
On the other hand, another method of manufacturing a surface conduction electron-emitting device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-237571.
The electron source structured by arranging a plurality of electron-emitting devices which are manufactured by the above manufacturing method is combined with a light emitting member for emitting light due to irradiation of electrons emitted from an electron source such as a phosphor, thereby being capable of structuring an image-forming apparatus such as a flat display panel.